As the aircraft carrier with the loпgest service history of the 20th ceпtυry, the USS Midway has distiпgυished itself dυriпg its пearly eight decades of service
The world’s largest Ьаttɩeѕһір for a decade was ɩаᴜпсһed oп March 20, 1945, at the Newport News shipyard iп Virgiпia. It was commissioпed oп September 8 aпd bestowed with the пame USS Midway iп hoпor of the pivotal World wаг II carrier Ьаttɩeѕ that traпspired jυst a few weeks after Japaп’s sυrreпder.
Few of the over 4,000 men who embarked on Midway’s inaugural patrol could have envisioned that the same vessel, though substantially transformed, would once again prepare for battle 46 years later, her deck bustling with supersonic jet fighters. The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, affectionately known as “Rosey” and the first American carrier to bear the name of a former U.S. president, officially became part of the Midway class a month later. Roosevelt was constructed in New York, while the USS Coral Sea, the final addition to this remarkable class, was launched in 1947.
The Midway-class carriers were designed to be “heftier battle carriers” compared to the twenty-four Essex-class carriers that entered service during the latter stages of World War II. Naval engineers specifically aimed to introduce an armored flight deck. British carriers with armored decks demonstrated greater resilience and quicker recovery from dive-bombing and kamikaze attacks, which had severely damaged U.S. aircraft carriers. Nevertheless, the inclusion of armored flight decks also added significant weight, limiting deck space and the number of aircraft that could be carried.
American engineers spared no effort to achieve a formidable combination of deck armor and an extended aircraft capacity. The USS Midway, stretching over three football fields in length, boasted the capability to accommodate a remarkable fleet of 130 aircraft simultaneously. This impressive roster included three Helldiver bombers and four squadrons of gull-winged Corsair fighters. Protecting the ship’s flight deck was a robust shield of three and a half inches of armored plating, while an array of 18 five-inch, 52-caliber guns were meticulously positioned to engage enemy aircraft from a significant distance. Ensuring close-range defense, the ship was equipped with a formidable arsenal of 68 rapid-firing 40-millimeter and 20-millimeter weapons.
The Midway-class aircraft carriers were marvels of their time, propelled by twelve boilers that drove four powerful Westinghouse steam turbines, enabling these giants to achieve a top speed of 33 knots. However, this remarkable speed came at a high cost, as these behemoths guzzled 100,000 gallons of fuel each day, necessitating refueling every three days. The sheer size of the Midway-class ships presented numerous challenges. With 130 aircraft on board, effective coordination proved challenging, leading to a downsizing of their air wings to 100. The immense crews on these carriers made life onboard exceptionally crowded, and their great weight caused them to ride low in the water, resulting in excessive seawater sloshing on deck and flooding gunwells. These unwieldy vessels tended to plow through waves, occasionally leading to mishaps such as the loss of one of Midway’s aircraft elevators during a storm.
The Midway-class carriers made their entrance at a time when the U.S. Navy was adapting to the advent of jet and nuclear-powered aircraft. In 1946, an XFD-1 Phantom jet successfully landed on the Roosevelt’s deck, marking the first planned jet-powered landing on an aircraft carrier. A year later, the Midway-class carriers made history by launching a Nazi V-2 ballistic missile from their decks, the first such feat from a moving ship. In 1949, a P2V Privateer patrol plane, loaded with a 5-ton bomb, took off from the deck of the Coral Sea, assisted by JATO rocket packs, demonstrating the feasibility of basing nuclear-capable aircraft on carriers. The following year, the Roosevelt became the first carrier to carry nuclear weapons.
Despite these innovations, challenges persisted. A famous recording from 1951 captured an F9F Panther on the Midway, hitting the ramp during landing and severing the front of the aircraft, which then careened down the deck. Such incidents served as a stark reminder that landing fast and heavy planes on carriers remained a significant difficulty. Remarkably, the pilot, George Chamberlain, survived this harrowing ordeal.
A larger flight deck was necessary to ensure safer and more enduring jet operations. In the mid-1950s, the Midway-class carriers underwent SC-110 refits, which significantly increased their deck size and displacement. This enhancement involved replacing their “straight” decks with longer “angled” configurations, which included the installation of more steam catapults. The modernization efforts also included the incorporation of new radars, a “mirror” landing system, and improved elevators to accommodate larger aircraft. Additionally, the previously open hangar deck below was enclosed, further enhancing the capabilities of these carriers.
While the Midway-class carriers didn’t participate in the Korean War, the USS Midway did play a role in evacuating thousands of Chinese Nationalists following the Battle of Yijiangshan Island. These carriers finally saw combat action during the Vietnam War. By that time, two-seat F-4B Phantom II fighters, capable of flying at twice the speed of sound, were launching from their flight decks. On June 17, 1965, two Phantoms from VF-21 engaged in a notable air battle when they detected incoming “bogeys” on their radar. The Phantoms were armed with AIM-7D Sparrow missiles, which were radar-guided but required visual sighting of the target before firing. To reveal the identity of their adversaries, four MiG-17s, slower but highly nimble Soviet-built jets, pilots Louis Page and David Batson used a daring technique. One Phantom charged toward the approaching MiGs, causing them to pull back and expose themselves. Batson and Page’s Sparrow missiles successfully took down two of the MiGs. The third MiG was destroyed after its engines ingested debris from its wingmates.
A year later, on June 20, 1966, four A-1H Skyraiders, based at Midway, embarked on a daring search-and-rescue mission. These were old-fashioned piston-engine ground attack planes, a stark contrast to the sleek MiG-17s they were about to encounter. As they scoured the skies for downed pilots, a warning crackled through their radios about the approaching enemy aircraft. The Skyraiders took evasive action, maneuvering in tight circles along the rugged mountainside terrain.
The MiG-17s closed in rapidly, spitting cannon shells at the lead Skyraider, the situation looking dire. However, the two A-1s trailing closely behind the leader responded with swift precision, their 20-millimeter cannons blazing. In a remarkable turn of events, they managed to shoot down one of the MiG-17s, achieving one of the unlikeliest kills of the entire conflict. The bravery and resourcefulness of these Skyraider pilots were a testament to their dedication in the midst of danger.
Meanwhile, the USS Coral Sea, officially adopted by the city of San Francisco, played a significant role in the Vietnam conflict. While the ship was engaged in extensive action over Vietnam, not all of its crew were content with the war’s course. Some onboard sailors actively circulated a petition opposing the conflict, and around three hundred of them participated in a peace march, voicing their dissent.
Despite the internal discord, both the USS Midway and the USS Coral Sea remained involved until the very end of the conflict. In 1972, they played crucial roles in bombing North Vietnamese land offensives and mining Haiphong harbor. These actions were believed